1yr old suddenly walking on side of foot toes curling inwards

[Wonderwitch]

Hi All,

Its been a while since I have been on here, just wondered if anyone would be able to shed some light on the sudden foot problem with my son.

He is 1yr old ( well he will be on the 8th Dec) he was doing really well with walking independently and could walk from one side of the room to the other, still wobbly and concentrating a lot but was going great guns, then about 2 weeks or so ago, he started walking on the outer side of his foot, almost right over on his ankle, curling his toes inwards and underneath his foot, it has got worse, he is now not walking, other than round the furniture again and hold that leg up when standing still, he also limps and hobbles when walking round the furniture, and has gone back to crawling mostly and wants to be picked up a lot more now too.

We have checked his foot, ankle and leg we cant see anything strange, he doesn't seem to be in pain, but hard to tell due to age, he can move his foot/ ankle in all directions with no problem.

I have got a Doc appointment on monday with him but just wondered if anyone has any ideas, suggestions as this is really worrying me.

Thank you

Wendy

xxXxx

Anyone??

It does sound like he's hurt his foot, I hope the doctor can work out what and that your DS gets better soon. Fwiw my DS sometimes gets split heels (he has very dry skin) and he hobbles around until they heal.

Thanks OmicronPersei8, we have checked his foot and cant see anything, and he hasn't had any accidents bumps we have seen that would explain this, it's a bit of a mystery, hurry up monday afternoon is what I'm thinking.
Thanks again
xxXxx

It is horrible when you can see that something's wrong but not what's wrong. Good luck with the doctor.

Thank you will update when I have been to let you know what they say.

I did ask the health visitor, all I got was " we cant refer him to the podiatrist until he is about 2 yrs old and walking confidently"

I was straight on the phone to make an appointment with the doctor. Health visitors continue to amaze me!!!

XxXxX

Well went to the doc an they had a look, went and spoke to another doc, now have to go back in 4 weeks as they say he's still very young an we should just monitor it... so no answers

It is a bit odd! You say that he has completely normal range in this foot. Does it move exactly the same as the other, no tightness in the ankle or under the foot? Is the ankle more mobile than the other - more flexible/loose? I would have guessed at sensory issues but this really would be the soles of both feet. If the movement in both feet/ankles are the same its probably something quite simple but any difference could be an indicator of tight tendons or hypermobility in their mildest form. I think its reasonable to just observe for now, supporting shoes would just hinder his walking at the moment.

Hi sneezecakesmum,

Thanks for the reply..Yes he has normal movement in the foot, ankle and leg, and move the same as the other foot, its all very strange. The doc did say that might be a good idea to get sturdy shoes to get him to use the foot properly, we went out today and got some and I must say it has made him stand better with foot flat on the floor but he's only had them on for about an hr, and we cant really see what he's doing inside the shoe either, so we will see, will try just letting him be barefoot and small periods put the shoes on and see if that helps.

Will keep you updated, thanks again

xxXxx

Hi supportive shoes are always given by physios for children with walking difficulties (piedro are the ones they order - around £90 a pair!!) If you look on their website it gives you an idea of the proper type of ankle and foot support. The little lace ups have to be firmly tied so the toes and foot can't scrunch up inside (which is what you are worrying about).

I would say its a good idea to keep the shoes on as much as possible (checking for rubbing etc) as this should keep his foot in the correct alignment. He would probably trip if walking alone in piedro boots as they are quite clunky and heavy! Maybe the shoes you got are lighter? Try getting someone holding each hand with the shoes on so he wont trip up as it takes more skill to lift the foot high with a heavy shoe on the end, and babies normally learn this skill barefoot. Hope this works for you. xx

My son just started this. What was the outcome of your childs experience?

My ds did this with both feet, so weight bearing was nigh in impossible.

Referred to paediatrician at 18 months, no action, went back for second opinion and referred to physio. 4 month waiting list so we found a private physio who used taping techniques.

It was gentle and non restrictive but reminded ds to straighten his feet and ankles.

Ds walked within five weeks of physio starting, and although his ankles still roll slightly he doesn't have any issues walking, running or jumping.

He finally walked at 21 months, although he was born at 34 weeks. I didn't want to go down route of special shoes or inserts. In fact converse seemed to help, as they are so flat.

Hello All,

My kid started walking at 11 months and now he is 16 month. He was doing really well with walking independently . Since 1 week he started walking on foot not using toe with his right leg.

Contacted doctor he said below points

• He would have hunted leg
• or may due to fever

Suggested to wait 1 week.

Just wondered if anyone has any ideas, suggestions as this is really worrying me.

Thanks

Hi OP! My daughter has just started doing this… did you ever get to the bottom of why it was happening ? thanks :)